This is a zine dedicated to black metal written by a follower of the left hand path, This zine has been around in a different format for a while and I have decided to make an edition for www.blogger.com, for more information email occultblackmetalzine@yahoo.com, new albums as well as classic albums will be reviewed on here as long as their good quality black metal,

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Code are a band from the United Kingdom that plays a mixture of progressive black metal and post rock and this is a review of their live 2015 album "Live In The Netherlands" which was released by Heidens Hart Records.

Dark sound effects start off the album before going into a heavier musical direction as well as adding in grim black metal screams and the music goes for more of a modern style of that genre and all of the musical instruments have a powerful sound to them and the band also adds in a great amount of progressive structures into the heavier parts of their musical style.

Blast beats can be heard in certain sections of the recording and the band also interacts with the crowd and some of the later tracks show post rock elements being mixed in with black metal as well as adding in clean singing at times that also gives the music more of an avant garde feeling and clean playing can be heard in certain sections of the recording.

Some of the tracks are very long and epic in length and some of the songs also bring in a small amount of angry shouting style vocals and the solos and leads the band uses are very melodic and also display a great amount of talent and skill and some of the tracks also bring in a bit of the 90's Norwegian avant garde black metal sound at times.

Code plays a style of black metal on this recording that is very modern and progressive and also mixes in a great amount of post rock and avant garde elements, the production sounds very powerful along with all of the songs being recorded live while the lyrics cover Paranoia, Illness, Personal Weakness and Death.

In my opinion Code are a very great sounding progressive black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this live album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Cotton Optic" "Glimlight Tourist" "The Lazarus Cord" and "brass Dogs". 8 out of 10.

A Forest are a band from Italy that plays a very raw and satanic form of black metal and this is a review of their 2014 compilation album "Worn Out" which was released by Satanic Records.

A very distorted sound starts off the album along with some grim screams a few seconds alter that also takes the music into more of a fast and raw musical direction that also uses a great amount of blast beats and the music is very heavily rooted in the early 90's and also uses a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

All of the musical instruments on the album have a very powerful sound to them and you can also hear acoustic guitars being utilized in certain sections of the recording and some of the tracks are very long and epic in length and you can also hear a decent amount of melody in both the riffs and solos while the whole album has a very vintage second wave sound and as the compilation progresses ritualistic ambient sounds are brought in at times while the main focus remains more on a raw style of black metal.

A Forest plays a style that is very heavily rooted in the 90's second wave sound and also brings in a very raw and chaotic style of that genre, the production sounds very dark, raw and old school while the lyrics cover Satanism, Cold, Winter, hate and nature themes.

In my opinion A Forest are a very great sounding raw and old school black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "A Trial Of Strength" "Worlds From Light" "Dark On Darkness" and "Litany". 8 out of 10.

Solemn Curse are a band from Texas that plays a very fast, melodic and raw form of black metal and this is a review of their 2014 album "Eruption Of Apocalyptic Curse" which was released by Exalted oe Records.

A very heavy sound starts off the album before going into a very fast and raw black metal direction that utilizes a great amount of blast beats and hateful screams and you can also hear some melodies and a touch of death metal in the bands musical style and the songs also use a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

When solos and leads are utilized they are very dark and melodic sounding and you can also hear clean playing in certain sections of the recording and the vocals also add in depressive screams and death metal growls at times and when sound effects are used it gives the music more of an evil atmosphere.

Some of the faster sections bring a mid 90's Swedish feeling to the songs and some of the riffs also add in elements of thrash and some of the tracks are also very long and epic in length and while a good portion of the songs that go for more of a faster style of black metal there are also a couple of tracks that go for more of a slow and atmospheric depressive style and there is also a brief use of acoustic guitars present on the recording along with a couple of the tracks being instrumental.

Solemn Curse plays a very diverse style of black metal with some songs that are very fast and raw that also bring in a touch of thrash and death metal and they also mix in more slow, melodic and depressive stuff on some songs and the solos and leads also display a great amount of talent and skill, the production sounds very powerful and heavy while the lyrics cover dark, apocalyptic and depressive themes.

In my opinion Solemn Curse are a very great sounding raw, diverse and melodic black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Merciless Swords" "Without Drunkenness Or Prayer" "My Bitter Passing: and "The Casket Whispers my Name". 8 out of 10.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Sar Nath are a solo project from Texas that plays a very raw and atmospheric style of black metal and this is a review of his 2015 album "Freshly Skinned And Left For Dead" which was released by Merdumgiriz Records.

Dark, melodic and atmospheric sounds start off the album and once the grim black metal screams kick in the music goes into more of a fast and raw direction along with a great amount of blast beats and melodic guitar leads and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

Deep growls can be heard in certain sections of the recording and some of t he songs also bring in a small amount of spoken word parts and the faster sections bring in a great amount of early 90's second wave elements while the music is more noisier than that style and some of the songs also bring in depressive melodies.

When synths are utilized they give the music more of a dark and evil atmosphere while the music can also get experimental at times adding in a touch of noise and power electronics at times and all of the songs bring in a great amount of diversity and there is also one track that is very long and epic in length as well as introducing clean vocals onto the recording and some of the slower riffing also brings in a touch of doom metal at times.

Sar Nath creates a style of black metal that is very dark and raw in a second wave tradition but also can be very depressive, original and experimental at times, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover Ghosts, Demons, Mental Illness and Private Hells.

In my opinion Sar Nath are a very great sounding raw and experimental black metal project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Incision Has Not Yet Appeared" "Rainshards" "The Bloodies Ghost Of the Sepulchure" and "Succumbing To Possessions Fire". 8 out of 10.

Anicon are a band from New York that has been featured before in this zine and plays an atmospheric form of black metal along with some elements of doom metal and this is a review of their self released 2015 ep "Aphasia".

Dark and melodic guitar leads start off the ep and they also dominate in all 3 of the tracks and a few seconds later heavy riffs that also use a great amount of melody onto the recording and the songs mix raw and atmospheric black metal together that also have a touch of the cascadian sound to them at times.

When the music speeds up there are a great amount of blast beats being utilized on the recording and the vocals are in more of a grim black metal screaming style and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with the slower sections of the songs being heavy influenced by doom metal and most of the tracks are very long and epic in length. and a couple of the songs also brings in a brief use of clean playing.

Anicon creates another recording that displays a very raw and atmospheric cascadian influenced black metal style that also utilizes a great amount of epic melodies, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover dark, depressive and nature themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Anicon and if you are a fan of atmospheric black metal, you should check out this ep. RECOMMENDED TRACK "To See Into The Night". 8 out of 10.

Katachthon are a band from Greece that plays a very bestial form of war/black metal and this is a review of their self titled 2015 demo which was released by Black Sun Cult Productions.

Rain and thunder sounds start off the demo along with some militant style drumming and powerful bass guitars a few seconds later and after the intro the music starts going into a very fast and raw black/war metal direction that also uses bestial style black/death growls and a great amount of blast beats.

High pitched screams can be heard at times and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and when solos and leads are utilized they are in a very dark and old school black/death metal direction and some songs also mix in a small amount of melody in with a more raw and bestial style and some of the alter tracks also bring in a small amount of sound effects.

Katachton plays a very raw and old school of black/war metal that also mixes in a great amount of bestial growls to create some very dark, heavy and aggressive music, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover War, Hellenic Mythology and History.

In my opinion Katachthon are a very great sounding black/war metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this demo. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Realm Of Hades" and "War Against All". 8 out of 10.

This is a review of another recording from Anti-Freeze which continues the atmospheric and raw post black metal sound of the previous recordings with elements of ambient and this album was self released in 2015 and call "Unloved Sounds" which consists of rare songs that have not been on any of the other albums and compilations.

A very dark and raw atmospheric black metal sound starts off the compilation along with some grim yet high pitched screams a few seconds alter and the riffs also have a very depressive feeling at times and there are also a few tracks that are very long and epic in length and the music also brings in more of a raw style of black metal at times along with a decent amount of blast beats.

Throughout the compilation you can hear a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and some of the songs also bring in a small amount of clean playing, acoustic guitars which also bring elements of folk into the songs and melodic post black metal guitar leads and some of the riffs mix in elements of punk with a more lo-fi style of black metal.

Synths can be heard in certain sections of the recording and also mix in with both the clean and heavy parts along with a couple of instrumentals and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them while some songs also bring in elements of ambient and noise music and you can hear a doom metal influence in some of the slower riffs and one of the alter tracks also adds in a touch of neo-folk.

Anti-Freeze display more of a raw style of black metal with these unreleased tracks than what was presented on the full length along with a more depressive atmosphere while the music is also a bit more experimental at the same time, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover depression, hate and revolution.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Anti-Freeze and if you are a fan of experimental, raw, depressive, atmospheric and post black metal, you should check out this compilation. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Stench Of Death" "Throat Infection" "Eviscerated by Hounds" and "I Woke Up From My Dream In Shame". 8 out of 10.

Anti-Freeze are a solo project from Canada that plays a very raw and atmospheric form of anarchist post black metal and this is a review of his self released 2014 album "Aftermath".

A very dark, melodic and raw atmospheric black metal sound starts off the album along with soem grim and high pitched screams a few seconds alter that leads to the music speeding up a bit and also introducing blast beats onto the recording and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

When solos and leads are utilized they bring more of an epic and melodic feeling to the songs and a couple of the tracks are very long and epic in length and also mixes in the more modern post black metal sound with the 90's atmosphere and a small amount of clean singing can be heard at times.

When synths are brought into the music they add elements of dark ambient into the music and some of the tracks also bring in a small amount of acoustic guitars which also gives the music more of a progressive feeling and some of the more fast material adds in a touch of punk to the raw style of black metal and the album closes with a bonus instrumental ambient track.

Anti-Freeze plays a musical style that is rooted in the 90's style of raw black metal but also adds in some of the more modern and atmospheric post black metal and a touch of ambient and punk to create his own sound, the production sounds very dark, sloppy and raw while the lyrics cover depression, hate and revolution.

In my opinion Anti-Freeze are a very great sounding raw and atmospheric post black metal project and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Kingdom" and "Internal Filth (Fuck You)". 8 out of 10.

Friday, May 29, 2015

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording off the new album?

Lord Lokhraed : Recording took a bit time cause of member’s availability for recording. The album has been composed since 2009 but we toured a lot and get life changing that took for some of us priority. Also we got music side projects which for some us became more important cause its personal band.

2.You have a new album coming out in June, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

This album is special for us because for one time we didn’t wrote lyrics but this will be explained on the following question. Musically, we did something back in time by performing a more traditional Black Metal including Nocturnal Depression sound and melodies. It’s something interesting cause since 2009 you see a step back to the old metal ways. I think “Spleen Black Metal” is really more about old way of playing black metal than evolution to mix it with shoegaze, death, thrash or old school heavy metal as you may hear lot of bands actually this way.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics that are present on the new album?

It’s something we wanted since a long time with Nocturnal Depression entity. Literature has a strong importance in our band as most of lyrics are about a parallelism of feelings from the main character. Like “The one haunting my mind” is a musical interpretation of Lovecraft novel. “Spleen Black Metal” is a gathering of poetries from French authors all meeting to the depressive, sad and melancholic point of mind.

4.The album title and one of the tracks is name 'Spleen Black Metal', can you tell us a little bit more about this term?

“Spleen” is a term well used by Baudelaire which is close to Melancholy. I wanted to use this name like for band name: a mix between lyrical theme (Spleen) and music performed (Black Metal). We can’t be described as Suicidal like in past as we talk more about sorrow, sadness, depression… and not about basic propaganda “Kill yourself”. Also as we make a kind of condensate of poetries, I thought it will explain more the concept of album with this title than another one.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Nocturnal Depression'?

Nocturnal is an adjective for nocturne, we thought it as classic music style which is very slow and sorrowful. Depression stands for the lyrical theme like longing for death, suicidal thoughts and pessimism. With this band name, you know directly what you will hear. I don’t like bands name without meaning that when you take cd you don’t know what you will find. Of course, for some “so-called intelligent people” it sounds stupid but I fuck them. I don’t need their advice and they can blow their friend bands.

6.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We performed around 100 shows worldwide but I remember each one of them with some particularities. You got great memories with shows intensity and crowd as example but also some bad with worst technic conditions or promoters doing the less possible for saving their money. Some of the bests in a personal way were Kings of Black Metal, Metaldays, Germans and Italian shows. When we go on stage, we leave our human mind away and corpse paint change or face to the hidden beast deep in us. It’s like theatre and it’s our particularity to live each note we play.

7.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

We will headline a festival in Italy during july 2015 and later we will tour across Europe together with our brothers of Forgotten Tomb. I think we will perform some few gigs after and work on album.

8.A few months back a heard a band from Italy doing a cover of your song 'Host', do you feel you have been a huge influence on a lot of the newer depressive black metal bands?

I, as leader, have no feeling to be an influence to new band in DSBM scene. I wouldn’t have this kind of pretention. If some bands felt influenced by our music and want to cover it, it would mean that something in this song touched them deeply and it got an importance to them. Really, I wouldn’t blame a band to cover ND. When we did this music, it was (and still is) our feelings put in music. We never thought to be “important” or even signed on such important labels like Avantgarde Music or Sun & Moon Records (who made us known to whole scene) or even to be part of such important fests like Kings of Black Metal or Metaldays.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of depressive black metal?

I won’t tell you anything particular cause as we always lead the direction of the band (and still do), we don’t get any importance to advices, reviews or critics of our albums. I think nobody should tell a band how to sound. I read an interview from Peter (Vader)on Metallian who said something like “we don’t ask ACDC to sound like Nickelback…so Vader sounds like Vader”. I totally approve. The ones who spit on us and talk about no evolution are frustrating people and I don’t give a shit about their view on our music.

10.What is going on with some of the other bands or musical projects these days that the band members are a part of?

Any member of Nocturnal Depression got several musical projects in a large panel like Black, Death, Thrash, Heavy, Covers, Classic… so talking about each one would be very long and complicated. As ND is not a priority to other members cause they don’t take part in writing, their other bands became more important to their eyes. It’s this way of working when you play in several band : fixing priority.

11.Where do you see the band heading into musically doing the future?

Nowhere particularly actually. We will see how things are going during tour and if we can manage gigs but about music we will try to create something same way as we perform now but maybe including some Doom/Dark influence… future will tell…

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

When you are 4 people, it’s hard to find a specific influence. For me it will remain on Nocturnal Depression roots : Forgotten Tomb and Nargaroth. Of course there is a masterpiece like “Filosofem” from Burzum also.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Thanks for your support and to people following us. Thanks to the others spitting on our faces, you give us free promotion.

1.Can you give us an update on what is going on with the musical
project these days?

At the moment, we are busy with doing the promo work
for the album. Beside this, we are also writing on some new material for an upcoming release – but I
actually don't know, what kind of release this will be. Maybe a new album, haha.

2.You have a new album coming
out in May, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the
recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the
past?

For us, 'Grausammler' is the logical developement of our
past releases. It contains the melancholic, dreamy parts from 'Nur ein Traum' and mixes it with the rough parts
from 'Durch die Stille'.
The songs sound more mature and are containing new
elements and influences – it's mixture of traditional and modern black metal,
without loosing the roots of the typical Vargnatt sound. For me, it feels like the first real Vargnatt release since 'Nur ein
Traum', because 'Durch die Stille' was more like a personal tribute to
french underground bands like
'S.V.E.S.T.' or 'Vlad Tepes'.

3.This is the first release in 3
years, can you tell us a little bit more about what has been going on during
that time span?

As I recorded the first song of this album in late
2012, there were no plans for a debut album. The idea for Grausammler came after
I recorded a couple of songs.
I noticed, that they fit well together, whereupon I made a
musical concept for a debut album. So, 'Grausammler' had a long and uncertain development process. For realising some new ideas, I needed some musicians. So I got in
contact with H.es.a.e and Wiedergaenger. Also we took the
time to search for a new convenient label, because we had
some problems with our first label, where Grausammler
should be released. Fortunalety we came in contact with
Eisenwald.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects you
explore with your newer music?

I would say that the lyrics are mainly based on
general and critical thoughts about life. Sometimes very abstract like in 'Weltverloren',
sometimes more obvious, like in 'In der Irre'. Topics
about the fugacity of all being, nature
mysticism or transcendental experiences . Sometimes I got
my inspiration from literature, 'Vor den Toren' for example is inspired by
Jean-Paul Sartres “No Exit'.

But I don't want to interpret
my own lyrics here, this is the task for the audience.

5.Is the name 'Vargnatt' from the Ulver song of the same name or
does it have a different meaning for this project?

To be honest, I really took the name because of the
same titled album from Ulver. When I found Vargnatt 9 years ago, all old Ulver
releases, especially 'Vargnatt', were one of my favourite albums of all time
(and still are). They have this unique mystic atmosphere, which is fascinating
me until today. I think were important reasons, wherefore
I chose the name 'Vargnatt'.

6.On the new album you had a couple
of other musicians, can you tell us a little bit more about them and their
contributions to the recording and also are they permanent members?

H.es.a.e. is a permament member of Vargnatt- He
played viola and sang the choir parts on Grausammler. He is also part of the
neoclassic band 'Nachtreich' and the modern classic project called
'Himmelsrandt'. Wiedergaenger played drums on Grausammler. He is mainly active in his black metal bands 'Total Negation' and
'Nachts'.

I needed a good drummer for the album and wanted some
classical influences, so I got in contact with both musicians.

7.In 2008 you had also done a live show with this musical
project, are you open to doing this again in the future or was this a one time
thing only?

Yeah, we had one gig, but I think that Vargnatt will
not play any live shows in the future. We don't have the time or know some
convenient session musicians to play some live gigs. Also, my interest in playing live is not very big.

8.On
a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black
metal?

The feedback has mostly been good. Especially 'Nur
ein Traum' gained a lot of postive reactions. Many people
liked the adaption of the 'Secret of the forest' theme from the SNES game
'Chrono Trigger'.

9.What is going on with some of the other
musical projects these days that you are a part of?

At the moment, me and some friends are working on
the first release from our band 'Trautonist' – a mix of urban post black metal
and shoegazy sounds. It can be compared as a mix of older
Lantlôs and the dreamy moments of Whirr. Also, we are still searching for a
label. You can listen to a preview track here: https://trautonist.bandcamp.com

Also I'm primarily
responsible for the atmospheric black metal band 'Impavida', we had a release
about 7 years ago. But I don't know if we will ever record more releases. Time
will show, maybe. And I play bass in a stoner-like rock band called 'Eat More
Plastic'.

10.Where do you see yourself heading into musically during the
future?

I think Vargnatt will maintain the course of
Grausammler. According to that, we will still experiment with elements of
traditional and modern black metal. I don't have concrete plans or a special
concept, thats not my typical working method.

11.What are some of
the bands or musical [projects that have had an influence on your music and also
what are you listening to nowadays?

In the writing process of Grausammler, I had no
knowingly influences. I only listen rarely to black metal
and just to a few bands or records, but all the 90s black
metal and some underground bands of course had unconsciously influenced me over
all the years.

Nowadays I'm listening to many bands and musicians
from all genres, I don't set myself boundaries in music. So my current playlist
is very versatile, with jazzy musicians like 'Mac
Demarco', or 'Homeshake', which released some great albums the last years. Also
shoegazy stuff like 'Whirr'. In
black metal, the last releases from 'UNRU' and 'Paramnesia' were very great.
There is so much good music, it would be a shame, if you only listen to black
metal.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have nay final
words or thoughts?

Thursday, May 28, 2015

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?Trivax is an Extreme Metal/Rock n Roll band formed at the heart of the underground in the Middle-East which later was moved to the birthplace of Metal which is Birmingham, England by myself and then re-formed with other British members while I still fronted the band and composed for it. The band exists to deliver the energies and storms that are meant to take place at this time but also drive utter chaos across the worlds through a musical weapon.

2.How would you describe your musical sound?It’s a combination of a lot of things really, the kind of atmospheric vibes that you get from Depeche Mode’s Violator album mixed with lots Black and Death metal in a very old school and primitive way but combined with a certain modern sound and way of delivering that I myself haven’t heard much before, maybe a little from bands like Tribulation but that’s about it. The music of Trivax is more of a storm rather than anything else, a storm which you can get lost in and then at the end you wake up wounded in the middle of nowhere.

3.Your lyrics cover some satanic and occult topics, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in the black arts.I’m not sure if that is 100% accurate, yes they do point at things of such nature but I don’t consider myself to be the most educated people when it comes to the occult and though I have a great interest for it I’ve never been inspired to write about it that much and in terms of being Satanic I’ve always took matters in my own hands to discover certain things so everything I write is based on personal experience, the lyrics are more of a prayer really that spread energies throughout the world that will like everything else find their way back on us and it’s to force that unto the listener as well so they can consume my heart and be open for possession.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Trivax'?The name comes from the first album by this very obscure group called Lavizan Jangal which was titled “Trivax Motamaneling Humanism…” but the word Trivax was pronounced differently I believe, although I’m not sure if it was their first album because Lord Aghdas who formed the band released 5 albums on the day of the band’s formation and he’s a massive cunt who also played guitars in Trivax a few times in both 2009 and 2010 but I kept kicking him out and yeah he’s not sure himself which one was the first because I think he recorded all of the albums and then put them together as albums later.He's also my wife actually but we can't have sex because I'm not gay so one time when were trapped in a house at the outskirts of Rasht (north Iran) I stabbed him in the arm which I swear I saw it somewhere on the net a couple of months ago, he must have paid bbc or something.

5.Originally the band started out as a solo project, what was the decision behind hiring a full time line up?The reason it was a solo project was because I didn’t know any other musicians let alone people interested in metal or even worse Extreme Metal which is what I was after and finding a drummer was a nightmare at the time, it’s only now that there’s suddenly so many people this kind of thing publicly from over in Iran, besides I was only 14 years old when I started this thing but it had one advantage and it was that my songwriting was not limited at all and I got to really exercise my creativity at a young age which ended up working in the band’s favour, although I still don’t think the guy from the band can deliver them the proper way but I actually find it very interesting because they sort of add a layer of innocence to the work and give it more soul instead of it being just a solid vision created by only me… makes it more of a band which is what I was interested in having since day one.Although it’s not as easy as it was for me because there was a time that I had no ego and was just discovering psychedelics and all that stuff and was quite calm but now it’s the opposite and I just hate everyone even more than before and want to watch the world turn into ashes so I suppose it’s good I haven’t killed anyone for constantly butchering my songs, I am however grateful to even have been able to have a line-up here and actually perform live because playing gigs was something of a life-long dream when I was back there and it only happened 3 times and they were all incredibly underground and limited scenarios where we could have no vocals so I’m quite pleased that I can now get in front of a hundred people and tell them go kill themselves, it’s an absolute blessing!

6.Originally the band was from Iran a country that is very dangerous if you are a metal band but now reside in the United Kingdom, do you feel your are able to express your musical vision a lot more in this country?

I realize now that I could have still done the same thing from over in Iran and released my vision from there but there would have been no touring, no money, no proper record sales, no playing with other bands that don’t suck and just so many other things and plus once you start performing live you add this natural feel to your music that I also learned from watching so many live bands here that I wasn’t getting it right while watching them all from bootleg DVDs back home and that is something that ALL Iranian bands lack and that’s why they need to be put to death and I’m ashamed that so many people are that talentless that we had to wait until my generation so then we would come and say that okay Iran actually has people who play metal from their hearts not because distortion and technique are cool for Facebook likes.All in all I think both countries fucking suck anyway just like everywhere else where living things reside!

7.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?We’ve done lots of them but ones that I can think of was our first and last show and this one time when we played in London Camden 2 years ago when even the sound guy was going apeshit.our first show was quite interesting too, we played in an underground amphitheater of a high school in Tehran near the area of Tajrish and after 40 minutes of us playing the kids went crazy and set the place on fire so we had to evacuate, it was a great experience I’ll never forget it and especially what we went through to even play that goddamn show.2 weeks ago we played at the O2 Academy in Birmingham after over 2 years and the crowd was really good, we even brought John Wilcox from Funeral Throne on stage with us to do our usual live cover of Into The Crypts Of Rays by Celtic Frost.

8.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?No but I know we want to play in Italy.

Being back in Iran or playing anywhere in front of an Iranian audience with the true Trivax that has been working in the past 4 years would be an incredible honour!! But of course no other band gets to do it so I don’t feel very left out, I’m actually probably one of the fewest people in the whole world who has played metal shows both inside and outside of Iran if not the only one… go figure that!at least if it becomes available one day I’d still be one of the first, not only that but to come outside of that country to play fucking Black Metal out of everything, fuck you and your Iranian Post Rock morons who want to be the next Metallica! Go find me another person who’s had the balls to do anything like that and I’ll get them a fucking drink with an umbrella in it.Fuck You All

9.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest?We’ve had some interest yes, both from people with proper active labels with working bands and those with the “sore me englis no gud” kind of approach but nothing that’s been of my interest, our main focus is to have a deal for the album with the right label for the right audience and I… let’s say I have some kind of trust issue thing going on so everything has to be completely right and spot on and besides the band has way too much behind it already to agree to any label, they must consist on the fact that the band was originally formed in the center of the world where none of this is allowed and then ended up where metal itself started… not to sound full of myself but for any intelligent person observing the situation would agree that this is nothing but the truth!But yes we will have our lawyer to work on some deals for us once everything is ready to go.

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black and death metal?The feedback has generally been positive but we’ve had some negative ones in the earlier years too, I suppose I’m used to both in a way now so it doesn’t really get into my head even when I pay attention to it. I wouldn’t even say majority of our supporters are the general extreme metal fans, it’s mostly just people genuinely interested in rock music and what certain things can offer and I do believe that our music has the power to reach much further than just a small black and white patch on an angry long haired kid’s jacket. Don’t get me wrong, extreme metal is everything to me and in this band we’ve done our fair share of covering Celtic Frost, Nifelheim, Bathory, Mayhem, Dissection, Darkthrone and even Watain and Behemoth which we played live years ago and we’re not even trying to fit in anywhere because I don’t really think we can so I suppose I’m just trying to prove that “Hey you retired Scandinavian dudes, me and my brothers used to live with your music and bleed with it at a place where metal is banned and illegal”I do however (just like everyone else who actually cares for it does) believe that metal in general has been missing some salt I think maybe being from a completely different cultural upbringing than everyone else credited in the genre has been and literally having to bleed and make sacrifices just to even perform Metal can be the cause of us bringing something new to the table for everyone else… now how many people are going to hear it is not important to me at all and it’s all about blending the energies and giving out something very unique and touching some people at the heart and showing them the true musical potential and mind from Iran, which is something that I don’t think you’ll get from a cheap political bands like a certain group of people from Mashad who just want to appeal to the people and be metal celebrities… our intentions differ highly from that!

11.When can we expect a full length album and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?you see… each time this band has tried to release something there’s been lots of turbulence in my life and especially this last EP really took its toll on me mentally and physically but the album is already done and it covers everything from 6 years ago until now but I think we’ll probably have to have a few band members killed before we can properly do it and I can tell you that musically it’s probably what everyone in metal and extreme metal has thought they’ve wanted to hear but have not hear it yet!that’s all I can say, maybe you just needed the juice and the energies from the other side of the world that never got to contribute to the scene, Brazil did an alright job for sure but that's old now.

12.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?I think everyone in the band would have a different answer, I don’t think actually I know.personally I draw my influences in playing from so many people I couldn’t even name 10 people and feel that I’ve given a fair answer but of course James Hetfield of Metallica is where most of my guitar playing energies take their formation from and in terms of vocals I’ve always said it’s a combination of Tom G Warrior and late GG Allin and pretty much all of Mayhem’s vocalists that I get my voice from.when it comes to being music listeners we listen to a lot of different stuff on our own but I myself have been spending a good part of the past 6 months just listening to the usual Motorhead, Judas Priest and Rainbow which I have always loved plus lots of Type O Negative, Depeche Mode and Klaus Schulze and just the general Black Metal stuff like Revenge, Mercyful Fate, Archgoat, Bathory, Lavizan Jangal, Peste Noire, Merciless, Necrovore, Dissection and just so much stuff in general but I’m also a great fan of Swedish Rock like Kent and of course Rammstein I still listen to them because they’re sick. One thing that I’ve had since I was a kid is that I really listen to music by heart and really get into it so most of the time I’m still listening to old school metal stuff but there’s that 20% of my music listening which goes to Extreme Metal and when I do that I really fucking get into it and go mental.Few weeks ago me and my bass player also discovered this rare band that sounds like Hawkwind from their guitarist when we were buying bootleg shirts from him and they’re called The Lysergics I believe, pretty cool 60’s sounding stuff.

13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?Thank you for the interview and including Trivax in your zine, sir! Hopefully one day we will come to your country and burn it down to ashes once again.Also a great appreciation and gratitude for those loyal comrades who have been buying our merch and supporting us by dragging the Trivax name and logo across the world, if you're yet to get our merchandise and still haven't done so then you can check our bandcamp page: https://trivax.bandcamp.com/merch

As for everyone reading, I have a suggestion for you:take LSD, go outside, put on Trivax, stare at the moon and slit your wrists so you can join it.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a
little bit about the band?

We are a french black metal band formed in 2012 by members from the
underground scene of Bordeaux. Our first album "Post Ecstatic Experience" have
been released in april 2015 on Emanations, a division of Les Acteurs de L'Ombre
Productions, a french black/avant garde label.

2.Recently you have released a new album, how would you describe the
musical sound that is presented on the recording?

We would describe it as dark, occult but also ethereal, melodic and
mesmerizing. Those two sides reflect the album theme, and lead the listener in a
hypnotic spiral.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores
with the music?

Lyrics evoke the duality between rapture and collapse. Each song
offer its own approach of this concept. For example we broach this idea through
themes as loneliness, mourning, naive faith etc...

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name
'Lifestream'?

We wanted a powerful name, mystic and mysterious, which stand out
from traditional names in the black metal circle. Lifestream can refer to many
things, as an invisible force who links everything around us, or as existence
itself, whose death is a part of it. Its meaning can be understood in different
way. Finally, it's a name who describe us pretty well.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far
and also how would you describe your stage performance?

We did not play so many show during those three last years but each
one is occult, messianic, tragic and bright. Visually, there is a will to think
outside the box and not to fall into usual black metal cliché, using for example
light clothes.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Lifestream will play a gig in Bordeaux at the end of May with The
Great Old Ones, and other shows in France on which we're working on, but no tour
is planned for this year.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by
fans of black metal?

Feedbacks are positive and encouraging . We think people are
surprised, but at the moment, this is too soon to have an opinion. Our Label
LADLO make a great effort to promote our album.

8.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the
future?

Currently , we are working on new material. Our aim is to push to
its limits the two faces of our music. More occult, more mind-blowing.

9.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an
influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

We all listen a lot of different kind of music but all of us are in
black metal stuff of course. Some listen death metal, hardcore or rock and other
styles which have nothing to do with the metal scene. Our influences are large,
if we had to name some bands it would be probably Enslaved, Ascension, Emperor,
Mayhem, Darkthrone... But our personal influences allow us to incorporate
different elements into our black metal vision.

10.How would you describe your views on Occultism?

Art, and particulary music, is a privileged way to access to
occultism. From our point of view, our music, visual or lyrical themes have to
be occult to bring us to introspection. In this sense, we want people to think
about themselves. Our vision of occultism is purely artistic and philosophical.

11.What are some of your non musical interests?

( désolé, on ne sait pas trop quoi répondre )

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or
thoughts?

Thanks to all the people who support us and thanks to you for your
interest ! Keep the grey flame alive !

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

United Kingdom's Ninkharsag have returned with a new album that continues the raw and melodic occult black metal sound of previous recordings and this is a review of their 2015 album "The Blood Of Celestial Kings" which was released by Candlelight Records.

A very fast and raw old school 90's influenced black metal sound starts off the album along with a great amount of blast beats as well as some of the riffing bringing in melodies and once the high pitched screams start to kick in the songs start bringing in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

All of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and the vocals also sound very grim at times and the music also brings in an old school Swedish feeling at times but with more of a modern take on that style and as the album progresses classical guitars can be heard in certain sections of the recording and when solos and leads are utilized they stick to a melodic musical direction and towards the end one of the tracks also brings in a brief use of spoken word parts.

Ninkharsag creates another very fast, raw and melodic old school black metal sound that is still very heavily rooted in the 90's but done with more modern technology being involved, the production sounds very powerful while the lyrics cover Ancient History, Magick, War and Occultism.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Ninkharsag and if you are a fan of this band, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Essential Salts Of Human Dust" "Tartarus Unbound" and "Dawn Of the Age Of Aquarius". 8 out of 10.

Saturnian Mist are a band from Finland that plays an occult form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Chaos Magick" which was released by Candlelight Records.

Distorted spoken word parts and sound effects start off the album and after the intro the music starts going for more of a raw black metal direction as well as adding in solos and leads that dominate throughout the recording and the songs also use both percussion and drums and the vocals are all grim and high pitched screams.

Blast beats can be heard in certain sections of the recording and some of the leads also bring in Middle Eastern style scales and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts as well as bringing in death metal growls at times and some of the tracks also bring in ritualistic and avant garde elements.

Spoken word parts also male a return at times and the percussion also gives the music more of a tribal feeling and a later song also brings in a brief use of synths and psychedelic sounds while most of the album sticks to a heavy musical direction and towards the end the band also bring in a track that is very long and epic in length and all of the musical instruments hav a very powerful sound to them..

Saturnian Mist plays a style of occult black metal that is very raw while also having more catchy riffs than most bands of this genre and also hire a full time percussion player and they also add in ritualistic elements at times to create some very original sounding music, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Satanism, Occultism, Chaos Magick, Mysticism, Voodoo, Vedic, and Left Hand Path themes.

In my opinion Saturnian Mist are a very great sounding occult black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "The Heart Of Shiva" "Third Eye Contemplation" "Voodoo Satan" and "White Void Of All Being". 8/5 out of 10.

Monday, May 25, 2015

Ukraine's Khors have returned with a new album that continues in the atmospheric pagan/black metal tradition of previous recordings and this is a review of their 2015 release "Night Falls Onto The Front Of Ours" which was released by Candlelight Records.

A very hard, melodic and atmospheric sound starts off the album along with some angry sounding black metal screams a few seconds later and the solos and leads the band uses use a great amount of melody, talent and skill and keyboards are also a huge part of most of the songs and a couple of tracks are also very long and epic in length.

When the music speeds up it brings in more of a raw black metal style along with a decent amount of blast beats and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and you can also hear a bit of the modern atmospheric black metal sound in the bands musical style at times.

Clean playing can be heard in certain sections of the recording and the band also brings in an instrumental track before getting heavy and using vocals again on the later tracks and the vocals also get more grim and high pitched and the keyboards also start bringing in more of an epic and pagan atmosphere to the recording and there is also a brief use of clean singing.

Khors remains true to their atmospheric pagan/black metal sound of previous recordings while also showing a great amount of progress as musicians, the production sounds very professional while the lyrics cover Paganism, Mysticism and Space themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding album from Khors and if you are a fan of this band, you should enjoy this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Dead Birds Valley" "1664" and "My Cossack Way". 8 out of 10.

Druzhina are an international band with members from both
Denmark and Switzerland and plays a raw and atmospheric mixture of black and folk metal and this is a review of their 2015 album
"Third Henosis" which was released as a joint effort between
Gateway Music and Asgaard Hass.

A very fast, raw and atmospheric black metal sound starts off the album along with some synths in the background and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts and when vocals are added into the music they are very hateful and grim sounding screams and some of the riffs also bring in a decent amount of melody.

A great portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and the synths also bring in the atmosphere of a fantasy movie at times and the band also adds in tribal beats at times while the solos and leads the band uses are in a very melodic direction and the back up shouts also adds more of a pagan feeling to the songs.

Later tracks start bringing in more of a viking/folk metal sound but done with guitars instead of folk instruments and they also bringing in a brief instrumental before returning back to vocals on the following tracks which also shows death metal growls being added onto the recording and the last track also brings in a small amount of whispered vocals..

Druzhina plays mostly a raw, epic and atmospheric style of pagan/black metal that also brings in elements of death and folk metal at times to create a sound of their own , the production sounds very powerful while the lyrics cover nature, war, glory and sadness.

In my opinion Druzhina are a very great sounding atmospheric and epic pagan/black metal band with some elements of folk and death metal and if you are a fan of those musical genres, you should check out this band. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Breath Of Kronborg" "Eclipse Of Mankind" and "Psalm Of The Void". 8 out of 10.

This is a review of a split7 inch between Spain's Cryptic Wanderings and In The Shade which was released by Negra Nit Distro and we will start off the review with Cryptic Wanderings a band that plays a very raw form of black metal and their song "The Black Scaffolds Of The Hangman".

Their side of the split starts out with demonic growls and clean playing before getting more heavy and going for a very fast raw black metal direction that uses a great amount of blast beats and a small amount of morbid sounding blast beats and the vocals keep the demonic elements while also adding in more grim screams and a few seconds of clean singing and the song also brings in a great mixture of mid paced and fast parts and the leads also remain true to a raw and chaotic style of black metal, the production sounds very dark, raw and old school while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Cryptic Wanderings are a very great sounding dark and raw old school orientated black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split.

Next up is In The Shades another band that plays a very dark and raw form of black metal with their song "Place Of Penance".

Their side of the split starts out with a very slow, dark and melodic black metal riff and you can also hear the bass guitars in the background and a few seconds alter grim vocals are added into the music and after awhile the songs speeds up and adds in blast beats while with a more raw style of black metal and the song is long and epic in length, the production has a very dark and raw sound while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion In The Shade are a very great sounding dark and raw black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out their side of the split.

In my opinion this is a very great sounding 7 inch and I would recommend it to all fans of black metal. 8 out of 10.

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the musical project? Pale From Sunlight is a depressive black metal band. We write very emotionally charged songs with lyrical content about dystopia, depression, suicide and other topics.

2.So far you have released one ep and a full length, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on both of the recordings? Our first EP featured more aggression than emotion, but was necessary to write so that the band could get to the sound we have now. Once the EP was written and we had something concrete to work with the next logical step would be to refine our practice.

3.So far you have put out2 releases in less than a year, does the band spend a great amount of time creating new music? Both of us are very passionate about writing music in general. We started righting “Love Was Never An Option” shortly after the release of the S/T EP because there was momentum in what we had started.

4.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music? Most of our lyrical content is based on dystopian worlds, astral travel, heartbreak, and suicide.

5.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Pale From Sunlight’? It pertains to Vemetrith in our story when he commits suicide, but is reincarnated with pale, glowing skin.

6.Currently there are only 2 members i the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future, or do you chose to remain a duo?As far as the writing process goes, we have no desire to implement any members into the band. However, when we decide to play live we will bring on board members to play the material.

7.The band is from South Dakota a state that is not very well known for producing many metal bands, do you feel this adds to the depressive qualities of music since you are more isolated there? It certainly has had influence in our writing process. When wintertime arrives or it rains here it can sometimes aid in any lyrical or instrumental writing we may be doing.

8.Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label or have received any interest? Since our release of “Love Was Never An Option” we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback both from fans and labels. We have decided to continue our DIY mentality until we feel the right opportunity comes along.

9.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of depressive black metal? Very well. When we released our full length it got much more attention than we had ever thought it would. Fans from all different countries and continents have been giving us support.

10.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?At this point it is tough to tell. We feel that we have found our niche and want to build on top of that. What that may sound like exactly, is hard to say.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?Our music has been heavily influenced by many of today’s DSBM and Black Metal bands. Some of these include Xasthur, Silencer, An Autumn For Crippled Children, Exiled From Light, Make A Change…Kill Yourself, and many other bands. We both enjoy different genres of music all the time. Regardless of genre, we enjoy music that has an emotional impact on the listener.

12.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts? Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. We are always looking to keep our fans engaged so be on the lookout for some great stuff in the future.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Nocturnal Depression are a band from France that plays a very depressive form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Spleen Black etal" which was released by Avantgarde Music.

A very dark and melodic sound starts off the album and starts to get more heavier a few seconds alter and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them and when vocals are added into the music they are high pitched depressive black metal screams and a good portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length.

Clean playing can be heard in certain sections of the recording and the riffs also remain true to a raw and depressive style of black metal and some the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts along with a small amount of blast beats and the faster sections of the music also bring in an influence of early 90's black metal and when solos and leads are utilized they bring in a very melodic and modern depressive black metal style and a couple of the later tracks also brings in a brief use of violins and classical guitars that also gives the music more of an atmospheric feeling.

Nocturnal Depression plays a depressive style of black metal that is very atmospheric and more raw sounding than most bands of this genre and also stick to mostly a mid tempo direction, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics are written in French and cover suicide, sorrow, despair and nature.

In my opinion Nocturnal Depression are a very great sounding depressive black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Acedie" and "Spleen Black Metal". 8 out of 10.

Leere are a duo from Switzerland that plays a very raw and old school form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Bleak" which was released by Gravity Entertainment.

A very dark and slow black metal sound starts off the album along with soem grim vocals which also takes the music into more of a raw direction as well as speeding up and introducing blast beats to the recording and the music also brings in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

All of the songs are very heavily rooted in the 90's second wave style and clean playing and acoustic guitars can also be heard in certain sections of the recording along with a small amount of spoken word parts and some of the songs also bring in atmospheric synths at times and there are also a few tracks that are long and epic in length and the vocals get more angry as the album progresses and they close the album with an instrumental outro that also adds an avant garde ending to the recording.

Leere plays a style of black metal that is very raw and old school and has a very vintage 90's sound and all of the songs sound like they could of easily been recorded and released during that era, the production sounds very raw and old school while the lyrics cover dark themes.

In my opinion Leere are a very great sounding raw and old school black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Bleak" and "Spiritual Emigration". 8 out of 10.

Eyelessight are a band from Italy that plays a very depressive form of post black metal and this is a review of their self released 2014 album "Mantra Per Sopravvivere Inutilmente".

Tragic sounding pianos which also return again onlater songs start off the album and after the intro the music starts bringing in clean playing which is in more of a post rock direction and most of the songs are very long and epic in length and after a minute the music gets more heavier and all of the musical instruments have a very powerful sound to them.

When vocals are added into the music they use of good mixture of both clean singing and high pitched depressive black metal screams and the song also bring in a great amount of atmospheric elements and when they add acoustic guitars in certain sections of the recording it gives the music more of a progressive feeling while the solos and leads bring in more of a melodic post black metal feeling and when the music speeds up the band starts adding in more of a raw style and blast beats and one of the songs also bring in a brief use of female vocals.

Eyelessight plays a musical style that is mostly rooted in melodic post black metal which they also mix in with depressive black metal to create a very dark and tragic sounding recording, the production sounds very raw yet heavy at the same time while the lyrics are written in Italian and cover solitude, melancholy, nostalgia, memories and loss.

In my opinion Eyelessight are a very great sounding depressive post black metal band and if you are a fan of this musical genre, you should check out this recording. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Mantra" and "Anelo". 8 out of 10.

Mortis Mutilati are a solo project from France that plays a funeral form of black metal and this is a review of their 2015 album "Melepee Funebre" which will be released on May 31st by Naturmacht Productions

Classical guitar playing starts off the album which also uses a good mixture of both finger picking and full chords and a few seconds alter operatic female vocals are added into the music and after the intro the music starts getting heavier and goes for more of a black metal direction along with some high pitched depressive screams.

A great portion of the tracks are very long and epic in length and the songs also use a decent amount of melodies and also brings in blast beats at times and also brings in a decent mixture of both acoustic and heavy parts and the songs also bring in a great mixture of slow, mid paced and fast parts.

When solos and leads a re utilized they bring more melody onto the recording and all of the musical instruments on the recording have a very powerful sound to them and as the album progresses synths can be heard in certain sections of the recording and they bring in the atmosphere of a funeral and all of the songs bring a modern approach to black metal.

Mortis Mutilati creates another black metal album that is very melodic and atmospheric as well as adding in a great amount of originality and creating his own style of black metal, the production sounds very dark and raw while the lyrics cover hate, taphophillia, murder and mythological themes.

In my opinion this is another great sounding recording from Mortis Mutilati and if you are a fan of atmospheric black metal, you should check out this album. RECOMMENDED TRACKS INCLUDE "Venus Anadyomene" "Morte" and "Fingers Of Death". 8 out of 10.